The Meeting of the Minds
by Kellie Fay
Summary: A companion story to "When Great Minds Meet"  The same adventure from Duke's point of view, with Cassidy along for the ride.


The Meeting of the Minds (A companion story to "When Great Minds Meet:") 

  
  


By Kellie Fay 

  
  


The Mighty Ducks are not mine Cassidy is mine. Disney owns the Mighty Ducks. Ahh Well.   
  
Special Thanks to Eclipse for beta reading. :) 

  
  


********************************  
  
Has it really been almost two years? Where did the time go? Where did my life go?  


Duke didn't have the answers to any of those questions. He sighed inwardly and smiled as he looked at the clear crystal icy night, out the window of the tavern. .   


He couldn't believe that it had been almost two years since he had stolen The Mallar Emerald. When he had done so he had unknowingly bonded a spirit named Cassidy, from the time of Drake Dukane, to his soul.   


At first he and Cassidy didn't get along at all. Most of their discussions ended with Duke coming out the worse for it. He simply couldn't fight her will over his. She had tried to ruin his career as the best thief on all of Puck world. Then the Saurians had attacked, and Duke had decided to dedicate his life to stopping the invading alien force.   


Cassidy was far easier to get along with after that. She didn't care if he stole from the Saurians, and steal he did. Anything they had that was worth anything. Equipment, food, riches stolen from wealthy ducks. Some of the stuff he remembered stealing before. He also rescued other ducks from slave encampments, and sabotaged equipment. Sabotage was his favorite job, he liked it even better than stealing. He would be in and out before the Saurians ever got wind of his ever being present in the area.   


Cassidy even helped him out. With her extra sensory perception, she was able to warn him of approaching warriors and guards. On rare occasions, he actually let Cassidy borrow his body and she would use her ability to influence minds to make the Saurians quarrel and fight each other. He was the biggest pest the Saurians had to deal with. Well maybe the second biggest. In taverns and hidden hokey rinks around Puck World he would hear tales of a warrior in the resistance called Canard. It seemed that he was an even bigger nuisance than Duke was being.  


"He sounds wonderful," Cassidy said as Duke read the underground newspaper from the freedom fighters. "I would love to meet him."  


"I'll just bet you would," Duke said chuckling. "Hey, if we ever do meet him, maybe I could get him to take you off my hands?"  


"Why Duke," Cassidy said slightly hurt. "Are you tired of my company so soon?"  


Duke sighed and closed the paper. "Soon, has been going on over two years, Pretty Lady. And even though you've given me a lot more freedom since we first met, I still haven't forgotten that I'm still basically your slave. How could I not want my freedom? I like you and all Cassie, but still I want the life I had before I stole your emerald."   


"Well I suppose I can't blame you for that." She said, sadly. "I'm sorry about interfering with your life of crime."   


Duke didn't bother answering. He still never won those arguments. Instead he looked over at two large strong ducks in a corner booth. "What are they talking about Cass?" He asked.  


Cassidy focused her attention over to the booth. "Rumor has it that Dragonus has a new super weapon he is transporting to the master tower. With it he could kill anyone from the safety of his stronghold. They are transporting it on the main road tomorrow night. These ducks are going to try to steal it.  


Duke frowned. "What are their chances of getting it?"  


Cassidy shook her head. "Not as good as yours would be of simply destroying it." She admitted.  


Duke rose from the table and threw some coins down for his meal. "In that case, Pretty Lady, We have some work to do."   


**********************

The night was clear and cool with the three moons lined up in a row, but Duke didn't bother stargazing tonight. He was silently watching the road, waiting for the Saurian convoy. He waited on the cliff side while Cassidy did some scouting for him.   


She appeared floating over the side of the cliff. "The two we saw in the tavern are in a ditch along side the road. There are also two others hidden in the caves under this cliff. They look like professional soldiers, unlike our two reckless friends. "  


Duke scratched his beak thoughtfully. "Hmm military huh? Maybe I could use them as a distraction so I can sabotage the weapon."  


"You should be working with them, Duke," Cassidy admonished him.   


Duke shook his head a firm no. "Sorry, sweetheart. I work alone. Well except for you of course."  


"Then at least don't use them." Cassidy ordered. Duke shrugged philosophically.  


"As you wish, beautiful, that just makes the game more interesting."  


Duke waited until the convoy was just passing over his location, then with the grace of a dancer he leapt lightly on top of one of the moving vehicles.   


"The weapon is in the fifth truck from the back," Cassidy reported.  


Duke nodded, not wasting time with words. Skillfully he jumped from truck to truck until he was two cars away from the weapon. Suddenly the convoy screeched to a halt.   


"Duke, look!" Cassidy said, appearing suddenly and pointing.  


Duke caught his balance, and looked. A bunch of hunter drones had surrounded the two hot doggers he had seen before. They had been taken prisoner. He could feel Cassidy want to stop and help them.   


"Sorry, sweetheart," Duke said firmly, "They got themselves into this mess. We'll help them later right now we have to destroy that weapon."  


In the back of his mind he heard Cassidy sigh. She wasn't going to force him to save them. He must have won that round. He was about to move on when an explosion was heard below him. Two other ducks, a brown male, and a yellow female with red crest feathers, had blasted a hole in the hole in the truck and immediately attacked the drones. In no time at all the pair was overwhelmed by the drones and taken prisoner themselves.   


Duke sighed. "Rookies," he muttered. "They should have done their job first, and then rescued those losers."  


"We should help them!" Cassidy insisted. This time he knew that she was going to insist on it.   


"We should wait." Duke insisted. "Let the Saurians think they got all their little saboteurs in one place. Then we'll help them."  


Silently Duke followed the guards as they locked up the four prisoners. As much as Cassidy was yelling in his ear to help them, he waited. He would wait until the guards were gone, and he would wait another five minutes until he was sure no one would return. Only then would he came out from hiding. As he waited he took a good look at the two military types that were there. One was a fiery redhead, with a temper to match. She was dressed in purple armor, and was pacing back and forth in the cell. Nervous energy made her want to keep moving, he had seen the type before, but if she kept this up she would wear herself out without accomplishing anything.  
  
Her companion was wiser. He simply leaned against the wall and appeared to be waiting for something.   
  
"This is a tactical disaster," the red head complained. "We have to find a way to get free!" She glared at the pair of rookies who got them trapped, and then at her partner. "Canard! How can you just sit there? We have a mission to complete!"  
  
"So, that's Canard." Cassidy said softly in Duke's ear. Duke swallowed a chuckle.   


"If that is Canard, sweetheart, I'm not impressed. He got himself caught, and now we're going to have to rescue him."   
  
"You're just jealous because he's so handsome." Cassidy teased.   


"You think he's good looking? Will you let me pawn you off on him?" Duke asked.  


Cassidy sighed both amused and frustrated. "You know as well as I, that I cannot release you."  


Duke shrugged. "Oh well. It was worth a shot."  


Canard was perfectly calm in his cell."Relax, Mallory. We'll get out," he said, evenly.  
  
"How?" His partner, Mallory, demanded  
  
"Someone is going to let us out," Canard explained.  


Now that was odd. How did Canard know that He was coming to let them out? "Cas, what's up with this guy? It sounds like he's just waiting for me."   


"He is," Cassidy explained. "And I do not know how, because I am shielding your thoughts from others. Perhaps he is a see'er. He can see into his future."  


Duke decided that it wasn't important. "I guess it doesn't matter." Duke swung down from the ledge he was hiding in. "Let's not disappoint the great Canard, shall we?" He leaped lightly, not making a sound, into the nearby shadows of the back of the truck.  


Canard's red haired partner glared at him. "You're starting to go weird on me again, Canard," she said.  
  
Duke agreed with her, but kept that assessment to himself. Instead he said "Your friend may be weird, but he's essentially correct. I can get you out."   


It was fun to watch the one called Mallory spin around to see a him appear out of the shadows. Duke gave the group a cursory glance. "You know if it wasn't for you four I'd have finished my job by now," he said casually.   
  
"Who are you?" Mallory asked astounded.  


Duke knew better than to give his name. "Nobody important," he replied with an air of mischief. "Now do you want a hand or not?"  
  
The red head glared at him as if he had been the one to get him into this mess and not the two youngsters in the cell with her, but Canard got up and put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "If you don't mind," Canard said calmly.   
  
Duke grinned. "You want out? You got it." he said. He pulled a small piece of metal wire from a pocket and within two seconds had the lock of the prison open.   
  
Duke knew that he had impressed Canard. Canard looked down at the lock. Then back at Duke. He raised an eyebrow..   


Mallory was less tactful "How did you do that?" She asked, in shock.  
  
Duke was quickly getting tired of her attitude. "My you are just full of questions aren't you? I thought the military didn't ask questions," he answered with a smirk.  
  
Mallory glowered at him. Duke pointedly ignored her, as he set the others free. .  
  
Once he was done Duke said cheerfully "Well kiddies, it's been fun, but I have a job to do. See you."   
  
He was about to leave when Canard said, "Wait, your not still going after the cannon?"   
  
"It has to be done," Duke answered calmly. "They won't find me."  
  
The one called Mallory came forward and glared at Duke with a sneer on her face. "They're going to be on guard when they find us gone! We have to abort!" She insisted.   


"You can abort if you want," Duke said, shortly. "I'm going to destroy that cannon. His eyes fell on the explosives that Mallory was picking up from the table along with her own weapons. "Why don't you give me the explosives? I'll take care of it while they think you've escaped."  


Mallory, with a hateful glare at him, jammed the explosives into her pack. "Thanks but no thanks! We'll take care of it ourselves," she answered, sharply.   


Duke shook his head calmly "In two days this thing will be at the Master-tower, you'll never find it then," he reminded her  


"Then we'll find another way," Mallory snapped back.  


"Duke what are you planning?" Cassidy whispered a warning into his mind.   


That was of course the disadvantage to being a spirit's slave. She knew every thought he had even as he made them. "The explosives will help me, Cas. If they're not going to use them, I should."  


Cassidy sighed. He won that round. Duke smiled at the two. "Sure you will" he said. He placed his hands on their shoulders and squeezed a bit. "Now this has been very entertaining but I have a job to do." With that he opened a door, and slipped away.  
***************************  


Duke was very impressed with the strength of the explosives he had lifted from Canard and his companion. They made a wonderful mess of the cannon. "I wonder if they missed the explosives," Duke said to Cassidy.  


"If they haven't before, that will certainly get their attention now." Cassidy commented.   


Duke chuckled. "Yeah, I guess if they didn't know I swiped them before, they know now." Duke sighed satisfied then said, "Come on, Pretty Lady. Somewhere out there is a warm meal with my name on it."  


Cassidy smiled thoughtfully as they walked back to the road. "I liked that Canard," Cassidy said as they walked along. "You should try to help him out more often."  


That made Duke stop and stare at Cassidy, surprised. "What?" He asked.  


"You should try to help Canard and the freedom fighters more." Cassidy repeated.  


Duke shook his head. "Come on Cas, you promised me when we decided to fight the Saurians, that you'd let me do things my way. I work alone." They began to walk again. More quietly Duke asked, "So, what's so special about Canard anyway that you want me to help him?"  


Cassidy laughed. "Oh, nothing, it's just that he reminds me a lot of a cousin of mine."  


That had Duke curious. "He does?"  


Cassidy nodded. "Oh most definitely. The one thing that always bothered the others in the family was that no matter what battle was going on, Drake was always perfectly calm about things, as if he knew everything was going to be all right."  


The name registered instantly with Duke. "Drake? Your cousin's name is Drake?"  


Here Cassidy gave a delighted laugh. "Yes it is," she answered. "Drake, Dukane."  


Duke was now beyond surprised. "Lady, as soon as I get settled with a meal, you are going to tell me this story."


End file.
